May 25, 2011
People in the North East region of England are among the most likely to consider an electric car according to new research.
While electric cars are still struggling to captivate a strong car buying audience, motorists in the North East are more interested in switching to an electric car than motorists in other regions in Britain.
Overall just 2 per cent of those surveyed* would consider opting for an EV as their next car although in the North East this rises to 5 per cent. The installation of charging points in the region, headed by proactive regional development agency One North East, is helping to stimulate consumer awareness, confidence and interest in electric cars as the first EVs go on sale in the UK.
Sadly though people in Scotland and Wales are the least likely to consider an electric model. Of the 1752 respondents to the survey, none of those from Wales and Scotland said they would opt for an electric car.
This, TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk thinks is down to the large rural areas in Wales and Scotland and a lack of investment into public recharging points. On a positive note it does demonstrate that the Government’s Plugged-in Places scheme is working to convert motorists to electric power, even if overall, the electric car is still attracting only a tiny fraction of the market for cars.
The North East is one of the first areas to gain funding through the scheme and will also become the home of manufacture of one of the first electric cars, Nissan Leaf from 2013. The region is set to benefit from 1,300 public charge points by 2013 thanks to its fund worth £7.9 million.
“People in the North East are demonstrating that they are significantly more open to the concept of electric cars than other parts of the country. It’s understandable that buyer interest in electric cars should be fragmented at this stage; even the manufacturers of these vehicles admit that an electric car is not for everyone,” says the website’s editor Faye Sunderland.
“Someone in a remote part of the Scottish Highlands is unlikely to find an electric vehicle is suitable for their needs, not just because of the range and lack of recharging infrastructure but because of the type of vehicle it is. The first electric cars available are smaller vehicles, ideal for city and suburban life,” she adds.
-END-
Notes to Editors:
- Research prepared for TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk by Populus between May 13 and 16, 2011. Of 1752 respondents asked about the fuel type they would opt for in their next car, just 2 per cent said electric across the whole of the Great Britain. Regional breakdown available on request.
About TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk: The award-winning definitive guide to green cars, providing a wealth of information on everything from electric cars, efficient petrol and diesel cars to biofuels and hydrogen technology. The green car advisory website is also the best place for all the latest news and events relating to green cars. Since its launch on 16th June 2007, TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk has experienced a tremendous growth in traffic and now attains more than 225,000 page views a month.
TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk is owned and maintained by Really Good Domains Ltd, which run more motoring websites than any other company in the UK. As the UK’s largest internet advertising and marketing company for the motor industry, Really Good Domains also run the popular websites ContractHireAndLeasing.com, SaveMoneyOnCars.co.uk, TheVanWebsite.co.uk, RoadTestReports.co.uk, CarSupermarkets.co.uk and FleetDirectory.co.uk to name a few.
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